Dubai: The Dubai Metro carriages are getting a new look.
Bold and striking artworks of three prominent artists, Abdul Qader Al Rais, Rachid Koraichi and Safwan Dahoul, now adorn the carriages of the Dubai Metro.
The new livery, unveiled on Tuesday by the Dubai Culture & Arts (Dubai Culture) and the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) seeks to redefine the UAE’s artistic landscape.
It features eye-catching illustrations, including signs, symbols and ciphers showing intricate Arabic calligraphic scripts.
“We are very pleased to be a part of a project that brings the local and international community closer together through the medium of art. The wrapping of Dubai Metro carriages with accomplished works of art reiterates the cultural soul of the city,” said Saeed Al Nabouda, acting director general of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.
The rollout of the decorated carriages is the latest in the series of initiatives that Dubai has undertaken in an effort to bring art closer to its residents.
During the launch of the Dubai Art Season last month, a train adorned with an image taken by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and chairman of the Dubai Executive Council was unveiled.
The Dubai Art Season is another initiative by the Dubai Culture that seeks to incorporate city-wide activation of arts and cultural events.
The RTA had earlier signed an agreement worth Dh184 million to decorate the bridges and passes across the emirate and transform six Metro stations into cultural and art museums.
Each stop will have a different theme, with the BurJuman station playing host to music and art, while the Emirates Towers will feature Islamic decor and manuscripts.
Abdulla Yousef Al Ali, CEO of RTA's Rail Agency said the livery on the carriages has effectively transformed Dubai Metro into a "moving icon of happiness."
One of the commissioned artists, Al Rais is a UAE national well known for his abstract and bold creations. Over time, his masterpieces have evolved from his early figurative creations that highlighted the Emirati culture, his identity and surroundings.
Dahoul's featured arwork is part of the dream series that the artist has been working on over the past two decades “where he mirrors the corporal and psychological effects of alienation, solitude and longing that punctuate the human experience at various stages in life.”
Koraichi’s works feature intricate designs that reflect the artist’s fascination with signs, symbols and ciphers showing Arabic calligraphy. “His densely detailed design is defined by the universal language of signs accessible to people from all over the world, whether or not they understand Arabic,” a press release said.
